Your infant is listening to you.
Your infant is listening to you. At just 3 days old, without understanding what it means, infants can pick out individual words from speech a University of Manchester study has proven.
From birth your baby absorbs a huge amount of information about words and talking just from listening and watching you talk.
Later, they will will coo, smile, laugh, make more sounds and move their body to communicate with you.
This interaction strengthens your relationship and helps them learn more about the world at the same time.
Parents who talk to their babies about everyday things use different sounds and words. When children hear a lot of different words, it increases the variety of words they understand.
Excellent for their language and communication development.
Talking with babies helps their brains develop and can help children do better at school when they’re older.
You don’t need to make a special time for talking. You can talk to your baby about hanging out the washing, preparing meals or whatever is happening around you. Any and all talking is good for your baby or toddler, so try to talk as much as you can during the day.
Tips for talking with infants
* Reduce distractions. Turn off background noise to just ‘be present’ to talk to your child.
* Talk about an experience you shared – for example, ‘It’s sunny today. But remember the rain yesterday?
* If you use complex words, explain them by describing. For example, ‘We’re going to see the paediatrician – a special doctor who knows all about babies and children’.
* Ask a question or make a comment about something you are doing, giving baby time to process.
* Use natural pauses teaching ‘give and take’ in conversation. Baby will eventually fill these pauses when language develops.
* Read and tell stories daily from birth, if you can. Baby will learn this is when you enjoy a special time together.
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.2% Human-centred experience and communication
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15% Critical thinking
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29.9% Resilience and adaptability
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2.9% Other - I will share below!
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